I know this chapter is depressing but it will be fine.
Kurt sighed and checked his phone again. Nothing. Just like every time he had checked it in the past four days. Since Blaine had run away from Callbacks, Kurt had tried to reach him a million times but the boy had never answered his calls or replied to his text messages. As if Blaine didn't want to hear about him again.
Kurt turned to his side, away from his phone, to look out through the window. It was unusually cold out there and it had started snowing a few hours earlier. If he hadn't been too lost in his thoughts about Blaine, he would enjoy this sight. He loved snow, the only good thing in winter. Just watching the millions of small, white snowflakes felt like living in a magical world and it made even grey cities like New York beautiful. He would have loved to grab his jacket, go out there, drink a hot chocolate and take a long walk. In his thoughts, Blaine was there with him, squeezing his cold hand as he looked at the snow with those beautiful, confused eyes.
Kurt felt a stab of pain and turned around to grab his phone again. He had no missed calls or messages, not even from his friends. He sighed sadly and pressed the call button beside Blaine's name, althought he knew he wouldn't get an answer. Blaine would have called him if he had wanted anything from Kurt.
"You skipped your classes" he heard Rachel saying quietly from behind him.
Kurt forced himself to sit up and looked at his friend who was standing just inside of the curtain. Even from there, Rachel could see how bad Kurt looked. The few days without sleep and food was enough for him to look sick with his too pale skin and dark circles around his eyes.
"You look aweful" Rachel whispered as she stepped closer to him. "Are you sick?"
"No" Kurt sighed.
"Is it because of Blaine?" Rachel asked and sat down beside Kurt, hugging him. "Oh, honey. I know you liked him but he certainly wasn't the best for you."
Kurt swallowed, fighting against his tears as he looked away. He didn't just like Blaine. No. He loved him. And he had truly believed that Blaine felt the same way, that's why he had sung that song for him. He had wanted to tell Blaine how much he meant for him but Blaine certainly didn't feel the same way. He had run away and hadn't talked to Kurt since then, it could only mean that he didn't want to see Kurt again.
"I love him, Rachel" Kurt said, wipping his face to let rid of the tears running down from his eyes. "I-I thought that he felt the same way. I wanted to show him how much he means for me and-and I sang that song but he just... he ran away."
"He's clearly an asshole who doesn't know how much he's lost" Rachel said heatedly. She hated seeing her best friend like this because of Blaine. "I will help you get through this. I swear."
"Thank you, Rachel" Kurt said quietly and hugged his friend. "You're my best friend."
"And you're mine" Rachel smiled. "Come on. Let's get into the living room. We can order pizza and watch a movie. What do you think?"
"It would be great" Kurt smiled.
~ o ~
Blaine didn't know if he should cry or just lie down and wait for something to come. Preferably death. It would be so great if it just came, taking him somewhere else because life couldn't be much worse here on the Earth.
He had screwed up everything. He had been so lost in his feelings for Kurt that he hadn't wanted to worry about anything. He had known that this moment could come, that he had to tell Kurt everything someday, but he had believed that if he didn't care about the problem, it would go away. He had been so very wrong.
Now here he was, four days after running away from Callbacks, freezing on the street, not knowing what to do. He was pretty sure that he was getting sick, although it was something he hadn't experienced before. Fairies never got sick but they never came to the Earth either. He wasn't used to this cold weather and he didn't know how to survive it.
He should have gone to Kurt, he knew. Kurt who was gentle and kind would surely help him, but then Blaine would have to tell him everything and it was impossible, he was too afraid of Kurt's reaction. So he decided to stay away from him, thinking about how he should tell Kurt the truth as he felt himself getting weaker and weaker under the freezing cold snowflakes.
~ o ~
"I can't believe he just ran away like this!" Jeff growled, for the third time just that day. They were sitting in a hotel room they had found after the beginning of the snowfall. It was cold and wet and they all hated it, so they had decided to find a place to stay until its end.
"Well, it was your amazing idea to help him get here, so you should tell us about why he did that" Wes said.
"I told you, I don't know!" Jeff said angrily. "I thought he would be happy to see us!"
"He definitely wasn't" David muttered.
"Maybe he has a good time here and doesn't want to go home" Nick said quietly.
"Blaine's not a small child anymore. He can't act like this every time he doesn't want something. He's our prince" Wes said.
"He seemed so weird... As if he was bewitched" David commented.
"You think a witch did this to him?" Jeff asked in worry. "That boy!"
"What?" Nick frowned.
"That boy in the club. Blaine talked to him before he ran away" Jeff explained.
"And he sang a song when we found Blaine" Wes said.
"That's the only explanation!" Jeff continued. "Blaine wants to see us again but the witch keeps him under his control with his voice. He told him to run and that's why Blaine didn't want to talk to us."
"Poor Blaine. What should we do?" Nick asked in concern.
"We have to find the witch and force him to break the curse" Wes said.
"But we have to do it without Blaine being there" David continued. "He would turn Blaine against us and we have to be sure not to hurt him."
"But how can we find him? We know nothing about that boy or his power" Nick said.
"I'm sure that people in Callbacks can help us" Wes said.
~ o ~
Lorelle was watching her husband carefully. Drake was nervous, although he tried to hide his feelings, he couldn't fool his wife. He was playing with his fingers under the table as he listened to Sebastian's father. Sometimes, he made a fist, digging his nails into his skin so hard that he almost drained blood.
Things had been getting worse and worse with every passed day since Blaine's disappearance. His parents were worried about him, not sleeping, barely eating, as they waited for their only child to come home. They had never had a fight before, they loved each other unconditionally but their fears for their son made them both unbearable, snapping at everyone who tried to talk to them. Lorelle blamed his husband for forcing Blaine into this unwanted marriage with Sebastian and Drake blamed his wife for raising such a rebellious boy. And things just got worse with the Smythes blaming them all for letting Blaine run away and disgrace Sebastian.
"I ask you again, King Drake. Do you have any informations about your son's whereabouts?" Kalen Smythe, Sebastian's father asked.
"And I tell you again, Kalen. I know nothing about my son and he didn't tell me about his plans" Drake growled. He was the king of this place, nobody had the right to talk to him like this.
"So you want to tell us that Blaine ran away without anybody knowing about it?" Kalen asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Do you doubt your king's words?" Drake asked in return.
"Of course not, Your Highness" Sebastian said with a bow. "My father just doesn't understand how Blaine could get out of the castle without at least one of the servants noticing it? Are you sure they aren't hiding anything from you?"
"That's it, I won't listen to this any longer!" Drake shouted, jumping to his feet.
"Drake, calm down" Lorelle hissed into his ear, grabbing his arm and she turned towards the Smythes. "Lord Smythe, we trust every person working in this castle. None of them would do anything to hurt us or our son and believe me, they would have come to us the instant they saw Blaine because we all know how dangerous it is for him to be out there all alone."
Lorelle swallowed hard, fighting back her tears. She had cried enough because of her son. She had to be strong, believe that Blaine would come back in one piece and show these people that she told them the truth.
"We know how worried you are" Sebastian said quietly, trying his best to look worried for Blaine. "Believe me, all we want is to find Blaine and get him back safely. Maybe my father didn't use the best words to express his fears for the prince but we all care about him."
Lorelle nodded in agreement. It wasn't like she liked her son's fiancé but Sebastian looked really worried about Blaine. Maybe she was wrong about the boy and he wasn't that bad as he seemed.
"We will tell you if our men find something" Drake said. "Once Blaine is back, we need to talk about this situation. Till then, please stay in the castle."
"I'm not sure it's the best for us" Kalen said. "As I see, Blaine doesn't want to do anything with us. He neglected my son on the day of their wedding, leaving Sebastian without an explanation. My son is truly devastated and all he needs now is some peace."
"If you need a new chamber to stay or anything else, please tell us" Drake said, turning to Sebastian. "We aren't just allies, we're friends and I understand if you need time to get through what happened."
"I appreciate your kindness" Sebastian bowed. "We would like to stay and make the alliance, no matter what happened between me and Blaine. As you said, your Highness, we're more like friends and family now, not just business partners."
"I'm glad that you think this way" Drake smiled. "I would like to continue this talk but..."
"Of course" Kalen nodded with a smile.
Drake took his wife's hand and led her out of the room. They had so much to do, they couldn't sit with the Smythes any longer. When they were out of the room, Kalen turned to his son with a raised eyebrow.
"I know that you're a great actor but you shouldn't look too worried about Blaine. They will notice that you're overacting" he advised.
"I'm 'devastated', remember?" Sebastian laughed. "I had to do something. They're so scared about their son that they want to cancel the wedding and we both know how important it is for us."
"I still don't know how we will convince the prince to marry you. You screwed it up, you know?" Kalen asked.
"I didn't know that he was such a hopelessly romantic type" Sebastian rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter, though. We will find a way to get him marry me. I have a great idea."
"What is it?" his father asked.
"Patience, father. You will find out soon" Sebastian smiled.
~ o ~
Kurt thought that his day couldn't be worse but he didn't know how wrong he was. They were sitting in the living room with Rachel, watching some movie but he didn't pay attention at all, fighting off a slice of pizza. He knew he had to eat something but he wasn't hungry. All he wanted to do was going back into his room, hiding under the comforter and cry. He couldn't think anything but Blaine, he wanted to see him so badly, to hear his gentle voice again. He held his phone in his hand but Blaine didn't call him.
He was about to find a good reason to go back to his room when the front door opened, revealing a smiling Santana.
"Somebody looks depressed" she commented, looking at Kurt.
"Leave me alone" Kurt sighed.
"What's wrong? And why are you here? It's snowing outside, shouldn't you be out there, singing some cheesy song with your boyfriend?" Santana asked.
"Santana" Rachel hissed.
"What?" Santana asked in confusion.
"Blaine doesn't want to see me" Kurt whispered, blinking rapidly.
"Did you have a fight or what?" Santana asked, still not knowing what Kurt's problem was. She knew that it was better for Kurt to not be with Blaine, so she would be happy to know that they had broken up.
"No. I... I'm not sure what happened" Kurt admitted. "We went to Callbacks the other day and I thought we had a great time together. We danced and talked. It was perfect. But then I sang a song for him to express my feelings and when I got down from the stage, he ran away."
Santana tried her best to not laugh but she couldn't stop herself.
"What's so funny?" Kurt asked angrily.
"Okay, it's not funny" Santana agreed. "But believe me, it's the best for you. Blaine's too dangerous."
"What do you mean?" Kurt frowned.
"Remember that night when he stayed here?" she asked and waited for Kurt to nod. "I went through his things and you won't believe what I found."
"Santana, you can't do this!" Kurt gasped.
"Why not? I went through your things, too, when I moved in with you" Santana shrugged.
"Have you ever heard about privacy?" Rachel asked, outraged.
"I had to make sure that none of you was a serial killer" Santana explained.
"Oh my..." Kurt rolled his eyes.
"Let's go back to your lover boy" Santana said, turing serious again. "Do you want to know what I found?"
"No" Kurt answered.
"Yes!" Rachel said at the same time.
"I think you should know" Santana said, looking straight into Kurt's eyes. "His bag and jacket were full of white powder and pills. Do you know what it means?"
"He may have some sickness and he needs them" Kurt said uncertainly.
"That's what he said when I asked him the next morning, my friend" Santana nodded. "But he was too nervous and I know for sure that he was lying."
"That night in the club, I saw people following him" Kurt admitted hesitantly. He didn't want it to be true but with all Santana had said, it made some sense. "I know he saw them, too. That's when he ran away."
Santana looked at Kurt and then at Rachel. The girl was pale, watching her friend with wide eyes and his hand pressed to her mouth.
"You can't believe that..."
"Blaine's a drug dealer" Santana said quietly, her eyes meeting Rachel's. "That's the only explanation."
"No, that's..." Kurt took a deep breath, shaking his head. "He's not like that."
"Then why did he run away? Why can't you contact him since then?" Santana asked. "I felt it from the first day, I knew that there was something wrong with him. I'm not lying, Kurt, I just want the best for you."
"There has to be another explanation, right?" Kurt asked, looking at Rachel desperately.
"I'm sorry, Kurt, but I think Santana's right" Rachel said quietly.
"You're lucky that he ran away and didn't involve you in his dirty business" Santana said. "Who knows what could have happened to you if those men found you with Blaine."
It was too much for Kurt. He knew that Blaine wasn't like that, that he wouldn't lie to him. But he saw in the girls' eyes what they were thinking. None of them believed him.
The room's walls seemed to close around him, he felt like he was in a cage and he could barely breath. He jumped up from the couch, grabbed his jacket and rushed to the door.
"I-I have to go" he said hastily.
"No, Kurt, you can't go out in this state..." Rachel started but Santana grabbed her arm.
"Give him some time" Santana said as she watched Kurt running out of the apartment, hoping that she was right and it was the best thing they could do to help their friend.
~ o ~
Blaine felt like his lungs were burning as he coughed again. He had spent the last hour or so sitting on a bench near the park because he was too weak to stand on his feet. He knew he couldn't stay outside much longer. It was too cold for him, even in his new coat and shoes. He felt like he needed something to make him feel warm again. No, he needed somebody.
Maybe it was just a game his mind played with him, but he felt like he could only live any longer if he found Kurt. As if he couldn't breath without the boy any longer. It was strange, though. He was pretty sure that he couldn't die and he was strong enough on his own, but now he felt weak and needed Kurt's closeness more than anything in his life. Just one touch of those soft hands, one word formed with that beautiful voice would make him feel a lot better.
He found himself on his feet again, taking small steps towards Kurt's home. No matter what was waiting for him there, no matter how their conversation was going to end, he had to see Kurt again. He couldn't stay away any longer.
He was almost there, he only had to take a few more steps, but it seemed like his body gave up and his legs couldn't support his weight any longer. He fell forward, landing on his stomach, with his face in the soft, cold snow under him.
"Blaine?"
So now he was hallucinating. Great. At least he heard Kurt's voice, not his father's telling him what an idiot he was.
"Blaine, can you hear me?"
Blaine smiled as he closed his eyes. It wasn't just Kurt's voice but it seemed worried as if he had been there with him. He even felt warm hands shaking his shoulder. His mind did an excellent job.
"Blaine, wake up! Wake up!"
But Blaine was too tired to do so and let the darkness take him over again.
